Keeping Safe from Novel Corona Virus (COVID 19)

We are closely monitoring the current situation of Coronavirus pandemic with regards to
our operations in India as the safety and well-being of our staff and communities we
work in is of paramount importance to us.
We have constituted a quick response team to monitor and initiate actions to reduce risk
to employees. The response team is available 24×7 for swift decision-making and
guidance to all staff and line managers as the situation develops. Frequent office
sanitisation and fumigation practices are put in place along with alcohol-based sanitisers
and awareness messages across all locations.
In a slew of measures to avoid the spread of COVID, Plan India has cancelled or
deferred all travel, events and in-person meetings encouraging staff to use digital
meeting tools. The staff have also been advised to work from home till April 14
after which a further review of the situation will be done.
We are providing regular information to critical stakeholders like donors, sponsors and
partners and regular updates and detailed advisories are being shared through emails,
website and WhatsApp groups.

As an organisation of global and national relevance, working for both social development and humanitarian outcomes, Plan India is committed to making its best efforts to promote mass awareness particularly in children, youth and women, against the spread of the Novel Coronavirus in India. Presently, Plan India through its programmes has a reach to around 5,500 villages and slums with 3 million families, and we are working with our field-level workers to spread awareness and behaviour change in the communities we work. In doing so, Plan India will work closely with the government agencies at the local and district level and healthcare experts to ensure the right messages and knowledge is available to the children, youths and women to keep them protected from the Coronavirus outbreak and be healthy.

For communities

Plan India has always been proactive in preparing for pandemic threats. We are closely
monitoring the situation in Plan India communities to ensure the people we work for are
safe and prepared to respond. People are being made aware to keep personal hygiene
and regular use of soaps and sanitisers as part of precautionary measures. Our field
staff are also ensuring that people have the right information about Coronavirus so that
they know when they are required to seek medical help.

Our response in Uttar Pradesh

A 15-day awareness drive was held in 202 villages of Plan India’s program areas in
Uttar Pradesh on the symptoms and preventive measures from Coronavirus that has
become a threat to human life across the world.
Over 30,000 community members and more than 6500 school children were indirectly
reached out through various activities of mass awareness on coronavirus and hand
washing demonstration as a preventive strategy. The awareness activities included
training to partner staff and youth members in order to enable them to implement the
drives in their respective areas and orientation of frontline workers to identify the
symptoms and take preventive measures.

Plan India also trained 35 key officials of Sashtra Seema Bal (SSB) who are posted on Saunauli border in district Maharajganj (UP) on the identification of symptoms of infectious person to prevent cross-broader transmission of Coronavirus. Additionally, Plan India re-printed the standard posters published by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India on preventive measures from Coronavirus. These were put up in strategic places like schools, Anganwadi centres, sub-centre, Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres and were used as a tool during sensitization meetings and mass awareness campaigns.

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Our Response in Bihar

We are regularly following up with our partners in Bihar to monitor the updates from the Plan India’s programme communities. We initiated mass awareness activities on COVID 19 in our Child Centred Community Development Project areas in February and held community meetings to sensitise people about its symptoms and how to keep themselves safe. An eight-day awareness campaign was organized in five districts of the states including Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Saran, Samastipur, Vaishali and Jamui.

Considering the severity of COVID 19, the team carried out mass awareness programs by setting up kiosks at interstate bus terminus and railway stations where pamphlets related to do’s and don’ts on Coronavirus were distributed. The awareness campaign was also carried out at Integrated Child Development Services centres and schools.